Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Lucille Smith and the Ballard Carnegie Library (Seattle, Washington)

In 1942, Lucille Smith (later Lucille Smith Thompson) became the first African American to receive an undergraduate degree in librarianship from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Born in 1919 in Lewiston, Montana to Martin and Emma Riley Smith, Lucille Smith was the sister of Alma Smith Jacobs - the first African American to serve as state librarian for Montana. While in library school, Ms. Smith became the first African American library science student to do a library practicum at the Ballard Carnegie Library in Seattle, Washington. The Ballard Carnegie Library was built with a grant of $15,000 from Andrew Carnegie and was in operation from 1904 until 1963 (it became a branch of the Seattle Public Library in 1907). George Hitchcock served as the first librarian. When the building ceased operation as a library, it became an antiques store, then later a restaurant (Kangaroo & Kiwi). The building is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.In 1945, Lucille Smith married Morrell Thompson. She later helped organize libraries in Idaho and Montana, and was a school librarian and French teacher at Browning High School in Browning, Montana. In 1964, Lucille Smith Thompson was hired as a reference librarian at Montana State University-Bozeman. In 1970, she and her sister Alma co-wrote The Negro in Montana, 1800-1945. In 1985, Thompson retired from Montana State University-Bozeman after 21 years of service. Lucille Smith Thompson passed away on February 7, 1996 in Bozeman, Montana.Note: Emma Riley Smith, mother of Lucille Smith Thompson and Alma Smith Jacobs, was a well-known quilter. See:

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Little Known Black Librarian Factsis a blog devoted to the history of African American librarians and library services to African Americans. It is hoped that through this blog, people will learn about African American pioneers in the library profession, and the triumphs and struggles in making library services available to African Americans